The present invention relates to a bagging machine and, more particularly, to an automated mobile bagging machine, especially useful for bagging compacted bulk materials, and its use.
Fragmenting machines for processing in bulk waste materials (e.g. plastics, waste wood products, etc.), into a useful recycled particulated articles or commodities such as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,228, are capable of producing enormous amounts of processed materials within a short period of time. These processing units are mobile and may be moved from site to site which in turn creates logistical problems in converting these in bulk processed materials into a saleable form. There accordingly exists a need to convert these bulk materials into saleable form such as a bagged product of uniform consistency and bulk weight.
Conventional bagging machines for bagging in-bulk materials are typically immobile and designed to process the bulk materials at a fixed manufacturing site. The handling of the bulk material at the manufacturing bagging site can be effectively controlled so as to ensure bagged product consistency. Specialized transporting systems designed for moving bulk material to the bagging machines and other on-site machinery allows for the bagging of a consistently and uniformly bagged end product at a fixed site of manufacture.
The bagging of vast amounts of in bulk processed materials with mobile processing equipment such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,228 creates unique off-site bagging problems. The processed products normally require transport to a permanent bagging site for conversion into a saleable bagged product. Unfortunately, the transporting costs often render the manufacturing costs prohibitive.
The off-site bagging problems are further compounded by the on-site equipment utilized to convey the in-bulk materials to a bagging machine. In permanent on-site bagging systems, the handling equipment may be especially designed to deliver the bulk material to the bagging site in an appropriate bagging condition. Off-site bagging system must rely upon available loading equipment such as skid steers, end-loaders, trucks, etc., to transport the material to the bagging unit. Unfortunately, these methods of handling these bulk material compounds the difficulties of bagging the bulk into a saleable product. Less damaging bulk material handling techniques, such as manual handling and forking, are cost prohibitive.
There exists a need to convert recycled in bulk materials at a mobile manufacturing sites into a saleable product form, such as standardized bagged form, at off-site locations using heavy load handling equipment to load the bagging machine bin or hopper. A mobile bagging machine which could be transported from site to site, loaded with heavy loaders and effectively utilized to bag vast amounts of bulk materials as customarily produced by recycling machines such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,228 would fulfill a long felt need. There also exists a need for portable and automated bagging machines which may be used to bag quickly and effectively large amounts of other bulk materials, such as exemplified by sand bags as used in times of flooding.
The present invention provides a mobile bagging machine equipped with a hopper or bin for retaining compacted bulk materials for bagging by the bagging machine. The bagging machine hopper is especially designed so that it may be effectively filled or loaded by conventional loading machines such as end loaders, skid steer loaders, etc. The hopper may be suitably of a V-shaped configuration equipped with a bottom fed continuous belt conveyor for feeding controlled amounts of bulk material onto a bagging head conveyor which, in turn, feeds a monitored level of decompacted (meaning more baggable and free-flowing) bulk material to a bagging unit for bagging. The bagging operation is designed so as to automatically stop the bag filling when a bag fill sensor senses that the bag has been filled to a desired level of fill. A new bag may then be inserted for filling. A cross conveyor transports the filled bags from the automated bag filler to a bag closure section which, in the case of thermoplastic bags, includes heat sealing mandrels for heat sealing the bag closure.
In its basic mode of operation, the bagging machine receives the bulk material in a compacted bulk form, partitions the compacted bulk material into segmented portions, subjects the segmented portions to turbulent impinging or fluffing flow so as to decompact the segmented portion, further reduce its bulk density and/or enhance its free-flowing characteristics, levels the turbulized impinged or fluffed segmented portion and conveys it to a bagging unit for uniform bagging. The bagging machine can effectively be utilized to bag a wide variety of bulk materials, including bags filled with sand, insulation, sawdust, mulch, recycled plastics, wood products, ground glass, etc. The bagging machine is portable and sized so that it may be moved by highway to various different bagging sites.
The bagging machine includes an electronic circuitry equipped with sensory devices designed to detect excessive build-up and compaction of product during processing and stop the feed material flow so as to prevent recompaction of product. The bagging machine includes a product level sensor which senses when excessive feed material is fed to surge zone serviced by a product distribution beater and leveling auger so as switch off the flow of feed material and avoid recompaction of processed material fed to the bagger head conveyor and thereafter commences operation when the product level sensor subsequently detects a low supply of feed material within the surge zone. An adjustable capacitative sensor (adjustable to a desired bag fill level) senses achievement of a desired bag fill density level and thereupon automatically closes automatic jaws for holding and filling unfilled bags and switches off the power supply to stop the entire flow of feed material to the bagger head conveyor and the leveling auger.
The over-all operation of the bagging machine may be accomplished by conveying the compacted bulk material stored in a hopper to product separator beater which divides the compacted bulk material into segmented portions which are then allowed to fall onto toothed product distribution beater equipped with spiked teeth which serves to fluff and separate (e.g. decompact the material falling onto the spiked teeth) and a leveling auger operating in a reverse augering direction of feed flow relative to the directional movement of the bagger head conveyor belt towards a bagging unit. The spike toothed section impinges upon contact against the gravitational falling segmented portion, beating against the segmented portion creating a turbulent flow which beats or fluffs the segmented portion into smaller material aliquots generally of a lesser or lighter bulk density. The spiked teeth break apart the segmented portions and fluff it into a less compacted product of enhanced flow characteristics. A leveling auger rotating about a common inclined axis or shaft with a beater evenly level the decompacted product for distribution onto a bagger head conveyor. The processed bulk product is of a more uniform consistency possessing enhanced flow characteristics and reduced bulk density and thereby in suitable condition for bagging by the bagging unit.